The Mysteries of Maple Town Part 2: Palm Town

There are more mysteries about Maple Town that I have yet to solve.

Maple Town actually had a sequel made.  Some of you here in North America just read that last line and I know what you are thinking.  Maple Town had a sequel?  Yes, it did.

Many out there, like myself, never even knew of this sequel until years later with the Internet coming along.  The name of the series was Palm Town or more precisely as New Maple Town Stories: Palm Town Chapter - the Japanese title was 新メイプルタウン物語-パームタウン編  or Shin Maple Town Monogatari: Palm Town Hen.  It aired from 1987 to 1988 on TV Asahi in Maple Town's same time slot.

I plan to talk some more about Palm Town in a future blog post and will also have episode commentaries on those.  But now we come to yet another mystery to solve.  

Why was Palm Town never dubbed into English for North America?

For some strange reason, the sequel series to Maple Town, Palm Town, never made it to the USA and Canada.  Some countries though that got Maple Town did get Palm Town; I know the show broadcast in Italy because I watched the Italian dubs.  I did confirm with a Dutch Maple Town fan that Palm Town did not broadcast either in the Netherlands.

Palm Town screenshot courtesy of Maple Town Story Boards

Having watched the Italian dubs of Palm Town, the series isn't as good as Maple Town but still has its own charm.

If anyone out there has information, I'd appreciate hearing from you.  You can comment below or email me at mapletown(at)gmx(dot)com.

That's it for now.

Be sure to check out my blog about my comics series Sunnyville Stories and my webcomic Tiffany & Corey.  If you like this blog, be sure to buy me a Ko-Fi.

Maple Town: An Introduction

Maple Town, officially known in Japanese as Maple Town Stories or Maple Town Monogatari (Japanese:  メイプルタウン物語), was a 1986 Japanese animated series produced by Toei Animation, created by Chifude Asakura and directed by Junichi Sato (who also worked on Sailor Moon, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Sgt. Frog).

Maple Town was a 52-episode anime that could be described as slice-of-life with elements of adventure and drama.  The series revolved around a young female protagonist named Patty Rabbit.  At the start of the series, she moves with her family to Maple Town, where her father runs the post office.  During her time, she meets Bobby Bear and a number of other town residents like Danny Dog, Fanny Fox, Susie Squirrel, etc. and has run-ins with a local bandit named Wilde Wolf.

The series was animated by Toei and broacast on TV Asashi on Sundays from January 19, 1986 to January 11, 1987.  

After its initial run, a sequel was made called Palm Town or formally as New Maple Town Stories: Palm Town Chapter or Shin Maple Town Monogatari: Palm Town Hen (新メイプルタウン物語-パームタウン編), with this series running for about 50 episodes.  Palm Town only had Patty Rabbit with some of the original Maple Town characters appearing on occasion.  This show originally broadcast from January 18, 1987 to December 27, 1987.

My sources tell me two movies were made - a Maple Town movie was released on July 12, 1986 and a Palm Town movie was released on March 14, 1987.  I know the Maple Town movie is an original story, but I have not viewed it so I can give no more information at present.  In contrast, the Palm Town movie is a compilation of the first episode of Palm Town with the last few episodes of Maple Town spliced in.  I viewed this movie years ago on YouTube but it has been since taken down due to copyright issues.

Sometime in 1987, Maple Town was exported to a number of other countries including (but not limited to) the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, France, Poland, Hong Kong and various Arabic speaking nations.  Some countries did also get its sequel Palm Town but other did not.

For the United States and Canada, an English language dub was produced by Saban Enterainment and the Maltese Companies in conjunction with Tonka producing merchandise of Maple Town.  The series originally ran in syndication on independent television stations in 1987 and then moved to cable channel Nickelodeon.  For reasons unknown, all 52 episodes were not shown on US television; Maple Town ran until April 2, 1993 on Nick.  

Merchandise was released in Japan and other countries; Tonka licensed the toys here in the USA.  Maple Town toys were collectible figurines with clothes as well as vehicles, furniture and playsets.  The usual other merchandise was released such as puzzles and coloring books.  Home video releases were released too as mentioned on the home video post. 

That's it for now.  I'll have some more posts up during the week.  

Be sure to check out my blog about my comics series Sunnyville Stories and my webcomic Tiffany & Corey.  If you like this blog, be sure to buy me a Ko-Fi.

Maple Town Home Video Releases

Maple Town did get home video releases on VHS format back in the late 1980s.

According to this Tripod based Maple Town page, six videocassettes were released by Family Home Entertainment from about 1988 to 1990.

The first cassette pictured here, titled "Welcome to Maple Town", was released in 1987 and has about 4 episodes running about 86 minutes total.  These episodes are: Welcome to Maple Town, The Stolen Necklace, The Pot That Wouldn't Hold Water and the Greatest Treasure of All.

The remaining five videos released all have just two episodes each.  They are as follows:

"The Prettiest Dress In Maple Town", 1987, containing The Prettiest Dress In Maple Town and The Children's Forest Patrol

"A Baby Comes to Maple Town", 1987, containing A Baby Comes to Maple Town and When Children Must Be Grownups

"The Case of the Missing Candy, 1987, containing the Case of the Missing Candy and Teacher, Please Don't Go

"Medicine from Maple Mountain", 1987, containing Medicine from Maple Mountain and the Ransom of Maple Forest

"The House Made of Love", 1987, containing the House Made of Love and A Most Unlikely Heroine

In Japan during the 1990s, Toei Video released about ten videocassettes with about three episodes each.  (Above image courtesy of the Lost Media Wiki.)  The UK got a few video releases through Multiple Sound Distributors.  Meanwhile in the Netherlands, CNR Video released a few cassettes with episodes.

As for DVD releases, even in this day and age, they are quite rare.  DVD releases exist in Japan, Spain and Hungary.

This is the DVD release of the Spanish Maple Town dub known as "La Aldea Del Arce".

I have no pictures of the Hungarian DVD release at present.  In its native Japan, Toei has released both Maple Town and Palm Town on DVD over two boxed sets.  My sources tell me that as many DVD sets do, there's bonus material such as production art, storyboards and character model sheets.

At the time of this writing, no other DVD releases have been announced for elsewhere like the United States.

There are two points of order that I need to address here.  The first is that anyone in North America interested in getting any of the above DVD releases should take heed.  Europe and Japan uses a region 2 coding for their videodiscs; these will NOT work on a North American DVD player, which are region 1.

The other one is directed at anyone looking for episodes in any format (DVD, videocassette, digital files and so on).  PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT ME HERE OR BY EMAIL ASKING FOR EPISODES.  For legal reasons, I cannot offer them nor can I direct you to any sources for these episodes.  You are on your own for locating these.

Should the situation change with any sort of digital or optical disc release, this post will be updated.

Be sure to check out my blog about my comics series Sunnyville Stories and my webcomic Tiffany & Corey.  If you like this blog, be sure to buy me a Ko-Fi.

Maple Town Episode List (Japanese)

Maple Town's official Japanese title is Maple Town Monogatari (Japanese: メイプルタウン物語), which translates as "Maple Town Stories".  The show was produced by Toei Animation of Japan and was broadcast Sunday mornings on TV Asahi from January 19, 1986 to January 11, 1987.  A total of 52 episodes were produced plus one film.  A sequel series titled Palm Town or officially Shin Maple Town Monogatari: Palm Town Hen (Japanese: 新メイプルタウン物語-パームタウン編) which translates as "New Maple Town Stories: Palm Town Chapter".  That ran for 50 episodes and in the same time slot on TV Asahi as its predecessor did.

The following is a list of episodes that ran; these titles were obtained from Wikipedia and Anime News Network.

1.  "Kochira dōbutsu taun" (こちら動物タウン) - Jan. 19, 1986

2.  "Nerawareta kubikazari" (ねらわれた首飾り)  - Jan. 26, 1986

3.  "Kie ta gin nosaji" (消えた銀のさじ) - Feb. 2, 1986

4.  "Hori ate ta takara mono" (掘り当てた宝もの)  - Feb. 9, 1986

5.  "Ubawareta nabe" (うばわれたナベ) - Feb. 16, 1986

6.  "Kowareta kusuri bin" (こわれた薬びん) - Feb. 23, 1986

7.  "Mori no minarai keibitai" (森の見習い警備隊)  - Mar. 2, 1986

8.  "Watashino e wo mite!" (わたしの絵を見て！)  - Mar. 9, 1986

9.  "Hiroin hawatashi" (ヒロインはわたし) - Mar. 16, 1986

10.  "Papa, kocchi mui te" (パパこっち向いて) - Mar. 23, 1986

11.  "O kashi no ie no yakusoku" (お菓子の家の約束) - Mar. 30, 1986

12.  "Ika naide! Sensei" (行かないで！先生) - Apr. 6, 1986

13.  "Ai wo yobu tegami" (愛を呼ぶ手紙) - Apr. 13, 1986

14.  "Tōsan arigatō" (父さんありがとう) - Apr. 20, 1986

15.  "Haro! Akachan" (ハロー！赤ちゃん) - Apr. 27, 1986

16.  "Usagi yama no kami sama" (うさぎ山の神さま)  - May 4, 1986

17.  "Kodomo dakeno machi" (子供だけの町) - May 11, 1986

18.  "Tanoma reta koi no tegami" (頼まれた恋の手紙) - May 18, 1986

19.  "Biibaa ie no natsu" (ビーバー家の夏) - May 25, 1986

20.  "Patei no kodomo shinbun" (パティの子供新聞) - Jun. 1, 1986

21.  "Nige tekita kaizoku" (逃げてきた海賊) - Jun. 8, 1986

22.  "Kodomo tachino mujintō" (子供たちの無人島) - Jun. 15, 1986

23. "Yume nowasuremono" (夢のわすれもの) - Jun. 22, 1986

24. "Yama kara kita tomo dachi" (山から来た友だち) - Jun. 29, 1986

25.  "Tanima no tenshi tachi" (谷間の天使たち) - Jul. 6, 1986

26.  "Majo no sumu o shiro" (魔女の住むお城) - Jul. 13, 1986

27. "Kai garani negai wo!" (貝がらに願いを！) - Jul. 20, 1986

28 "Koibito tachino aoi umi" (恋人たちの青い海) - Jul. 27, 1986

29 "Fushigina piano" (ふしぎなピアノ) - Aug. 3, 1986

30 "Byōin ha taisa wagi" (病院は大さわぎ)  - Aug. 10, 1986

31 "Yōkoso! O kyaku sama" (ようこそ！お客さま) - Aug. 17, 1986

32 "Shōtaijō gahoshii!" (招待状がほしい！) - Aug. 24, 1986

33 "Gureteru no koi uranai" (グレテルの恋占い) - Aug. 31, 1986

34 "Tabi no shoujo dōra" (旅の少女ドーラ) - Sept. 7, 1986

35 "Kinenshashin de chīzu!" (記念写真でチーズ!) - Sept. 14, 1986

36 "Akai tori mitsu keta!" (赤い鳥 見つけた!) - Sept. 21, 1986

37 "Akogare no baiorin" (憧れのバイオリン) - Sept. 28, 1986

38 "Kekkonshiki haomakase" (結婚式はおまかせ) - Oct. 5, 1986

39 "Daiana nonamida" (ダイアナのなみだ) - Oct. 12, 1986

40 "Himitsu no ie no onnanoko" (秘密の家の女の子)  - Oct. 19, 1986

41 "Watashi no penfurendo" (私のペンフレンド) - Oct. 26, 1986

42 "Jasumin matsuri no yoru" (ジャスミン祭の夜) - Nov. 2, 1986

43 "Hoshi nitodoita tegami" (星にとどいた手紙) - Nov. 9, 1986

44 "Mafurâ no okurimono" (マフラーの贈り物) - Nov. 16, 1986

45 "Yama no ie hamou fuyu" (山の家はもう冬) - Nov. 23, 1986

46 "Mizuumi no sukêto kyousou" (湖のスケート競走) - Nov. 30, 1986

47 "Moshikashite megamisama?" (もしかして女神様?) - Dec. 7, 1986

48 "Sono kinko woakete!" (その金庫をあけて!) - Dec. 14, 1986

49 "Futagono akachan" (ふたごの赤ちゃん)  - Dec. 21, 1986

50 "Kêki de shinnen wo!" (ケーキで新年を!) - Dec. 28, 1986

51 "Minami no machi noobasan" (南の町のおばさん) - Jan. 4, 1987

52 "Patei no tabidachi" (パティの旅立ち) - Jan. 11, 1987